New Care Package & Lost Form

I had planned all along to send Shaling another care package and to send it through a different service; this time through a woman named Ann at Red Thread. I found out recently that Ann was able to successfully get the orphanage staff to answer 19 questions about another child being adopted (the adopting family had asked her to pass the questions along to the staff when they sent their package).

I was excited by this, since we have not yet heard back from Shaling from the package we sent in April. So, I came up with 15 questions to send myself. I then ordered a doll set, a jade heart-shaped pendant with the Chinese symbol for love, and a bag for Shaling to keep her personal belongings in (pictures of all below).







I received a message back from Ann that she received my order and payment, but that she was afraid I had too many questions, because another family just asked so many questions. She didn't want to overwhelm the orphanage staff. So, I pared the list down to 10 questions. I haven't yet heard back from her if she wants me to pare it down any further.

On another front, I received in the mail yesterday a package from my adoption agency. It was the forms I had sent in, thinking they were ready for the dossier because they were both notarized and certified by the Secretary of State. For those who've been following that debacle, that is when the agency called me and I found out that I was missing part of my New Client Packet -- the part that told me to also get the forms authenticated by the Chinese Consulate. So, my agency sent them back to me.

Unfortunately, one of the forms, the Certificate of Financial Status, was missing. I've called them and they can't locate it either. I can only guess that one of us left it stuck in the envelope we received. Luckily it's a form that is fairly easy to recreate, but now I have to get it notarized and walked over the Secretary of State for certification all over again.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that adoption is easier than pregnancy. I've got experience with both and even with acute morning sickness, heartburn and exhaustion, the pregnancy is MUCH easier. GETTING pregnant on the other hand....